Pi-conjugated supramolecular structures have many useful physico-chemical properties, but their usefulness in biological and medical applications has been limited due to generally poor water solubility and toxicity caused by current assembly processes. Approaches known in the art for assembling π-conjugated supramolecular structures typically involve solvating the organic electronic material in a toxic organic solvent. In other approaches, organic electronic structures are rendered water soluble by substituents that, in effect, repel biological interaction, e.g., resist biological adhesion. Water-soluble conjugated polymers bearing ionic groups or those prepared in the presence of ionic surfactants can impart useful electronic properties in aqueous environments, but usually form amorphous bulk films when processed with little control of intermolecular or interpolymer order on nanoscale dimensions. Thus, the construction of discrete organic electronic nanostructures with biologically interactive function in aqueous and/or physiological environments remains a challenge.